1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer self-diagnosis device and a printer self-diagnosis method for self-diagnosing the condition of a printer, and relates to a computer-readable program storage medium storing a program having a printer self-diagnosis function. In addition, the present invention relates to a printer remote-diagnosis device and a printer remote-diagnosis method for remotely diagnosing the condition of a printer via a communication medium, and relates to a computer-readable program storage medium storing a program having a remote-diagnosis function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because of recent advancements in information technologies, computers are being more widely used in offices and homes. Printers connected to the computers are now also widely used. Since the printers print characters, images, and the like by printing ink on record sheets, when the printers print, the amount of ink remaining decreases. In, for example, inkjet printers, various methods using mechanics, optics, electric sensors and the like have been conventionally proposed for detecting the amount of ink remaining. To be specific, in conventional methods for detecting the amount of ink remaining, the amount of ink remaining is indicated as a percentage of the total volume of an ink tank, or an alarm notifies a user when there is a shortage of the amount of ink remaining.
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-271261, the result of the diagnosis on the conditions of such a printer must be stored in the printer periodically. That is, in order to store the diagnosis result, a log file must be created on a hard disk or the like in a computer which is connected to the printer.
However, the following problems arise in the foregoing conventional example.
The first problem is that the above-described method for indicating the amount of ink remaining does not show a user the diagnosis result of the amount of ink remaining and the like in an easy-to-understand manner because the length of time the ink can be used based on the user""s previous usage-pattern of the printer is not clearly indicated. That is, conventional printers do not show, in an easy-to-understand manner, how many more days the printer can print with the ink available if the printer continues to be used at the current printing pace, or how many more sheets of a predetermined images having a predetermined print size can be printed. Furthermore, since the frequency of use of the printer and colors to be used when printing is performed depends on the user, the amount of ink remaining is not indicated in such a manner which takes the usage-pattern of each user into account.
A second problem is that the method for storing the diagnosis result of the printer condition in the computer as the log file, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-271261, causes a disadvantage in that the size of the log file increases in proportion to the number of times the printer diagnosis is sampled. Since the size of the log file increases in this manner, the storage capacity of the computer must be increased. In addition, the load on the computer that processes such a large log file is heavy.
Accordingly, in order to solve the above first problem, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a self-diagnosis device, a self-diagnosis method, and a computer-readable program storage medium containing a program having a self-diagnosis function capable of diagnosing specifically the conditions of a printer in accordance with the user""s usage-pattern of the printer.
Further, in order to solve the above second problem, it is a second object of the present invention to provide a remote-diagnosis device, a remote-diagnosis method, and computer readable program storage medium containing a program having a remote-diagnosis function capable of remotely diagnosing the conditions of a printer specifically in accordance with the user""s usage-pattern of the printer while lightening the load on the printer.
To achieve the first object of the present invention, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a self-diagnosis device including a diagnosing unit for diagnosing the condition of a printer which prints on record sheets and a displaying unit for displaying a diagnosis result based on the condition of the printer.
This enables the printer for printing record sheets to self-diagnose its condition and to display a diagnosis result. That is, without the help of an external function, the printer can self-diagnose the condition thereof and can notify the diagnosis result to a user or the like.
The diagnosis unit may detect the amount of ink remaining in the printer and estimate, based on the depletion trend of the amount of ink remaining, when the ink will run out.
Because of this, without the help of the external function, the printer can diagnose the length of time the printer can continue to print with the ink available and can display, based on the diagnosis result, when the ink will run short. This enables the amount of ink remaining to be maintained more than a predetermined amount.
The diagnosis unit may detect the amount of ink remaining in the printer and compute how many sheets of a sample image can be printed with the amount of the ink remaining.
Because of this, without the help of the external function, the printer can diagnose the length of time the printer can continue to print with the ink available and can display, as a diagnosis result, the number of sheets of a predetermined sample image can be printed. This enables the user to recognize the amount of the ink remaining in a concrete manner.
Furthermore, in order to achieve the first object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, a self-diagnosis method includes the steps of diagnosing the condition of a printer which prints on record sheets and displaying a diagnosis result based on the condition of the printer.
This enables the printer for printing record sheets to self-diagnose its condition and to display a diagnosis result. That is, without the help of an external function, the printer can self-diagnose the condition thereof and can provide the diagnosis result to a user or the like.
Alternatively, in the diagnosing step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and the time at which the ink will run out is estimated based on the depletion trend of the amount of ink remaining.
Because of this, without the help of the external function, the printer can diagnose the length of time the printer can continue to print with the ink available and can display, based on the diagnosis result, when the ink will run out. This enables the amount of ink remaining to be maintained more than a predetermined amount.
Alternatively, in the diagnosis step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and how many sheets of a sample image can be printed with the amount of ink remaining is computed.
Because of this, without the help of the external function, the printer can diagnose the length of time the printer can continue to print with the ink available and can display, as a diagnosis result, the number of sheets of a predetermined sample image can be printed. This enables the user to recognize the amount of the ink remaining in a concrete manner.
In addition, in order to achieve the first object, according to a third aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable program storage medium for storing a program having a self-diagnosis function includes the steps of diagnosing the condition of a printer which prints on record sheets and displaying a diagnosis result based on the condition of the printer.
Alternatively, in the diagnosing step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and the time at which the ink runs out is estimated based on the depletion trend of the amount of ink remaining.
Alternatively, in the diagnosis step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and how many sheets of a sample image can be printed with the amount of ink remaining is computed.
In order to achieve the second object, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a remote-diagnosis device includes a control unit for controlling the operation of a printer which prints on record sheets, a detecting unit for detecting the condition of the printer, a diagnosing unit for remotely diagnosing the condition of the printer detected by the detecting unit via a communication medium for transmitting the condition diagnosis result of the printer to the control unit and a displaying unit for displaying the condition diagnosis result.
This eliminates the necessity of the printer holding the diagnosis result of the printer condition for itself. Since the printer does not have to self-diagnose the detected condition, the load on the printer is lightened. In addition, since the high processing power is not required for this printer, the printer can be inexpensive.
Alternatively, the diagnosis unit detects the amount of ink remaining in the printer and estimates, based on the depletion trend of the amount of the ink remaining, when the ink will run out.
Accordingly, the use of the external function causes the printer to remotely diagnose the length of time the printer can continue to print with the ink available and to display, based on the diagnosis result, when the ink will run out. This enables the amount of ink remaining to be maintained more than a predetermined amount.
Alternatively, the diagnosis unit detects the amount of ink remaining in the printer and computes how many sheets of a sample image can be printed with the amount of ink remaining.
Because of this, with the help of the external function, the length of time the printer can continue to print with the ink available can be remotely diagnosed and the number of sheets of a predetermined sample image can be printed can be displayed as a diagnosis result. This enables the user to recognize the amount of ink remaining in a concrete manner.
The printer may include a storing unit for storing at least part of the condition of the printer detected by the detecting unit and a transmitting unit for transmitting the at least part of the condition of the printer via the communication medium when data communication is enabled.
Since this eliminates the necessity of transmission of the detected condition at one time, the amount of data on the condition of the printer transmitted at one time can be decreased.
The communication medium may perform data communication using the Internet.
In order to achieve the second object, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a remote-diagnosis method includes the steps of detecting the condition of a printer which prints on record sheets, remotely diagnosing the condition of the printer detected in the detecting step via a communication medium and then transmitting, via the communication medium, a diagnosis result of the condition of the printer to a control unit for controlling the operation of the printer, and displaying the diagnosis result.
Alternatively, in the diagnosing step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and the time at which the ink will run out is estimated based on the depletion trend of the amount of ink remaining.
Alternatively, in the diagnosis step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and how many sheets of a sample image can be printed with the amount of ink remaining is computed.
Alternatively, the printer stores at least part of the condition of the printer detected in the detecting step and transmits the at least part of the condition of the printer, via the communication medium, when data communication is enabled.
The communication medium may perform data communication using the Internet.
In order to achieve the second object, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable program storage medium storing a program having a remote-diagnosis function includes the steps of detecting the condition of a printer which prints on record sheets, remotely diagnosing the condition of the printer detected in the detecting step via a communication medium and then transmitting, via the communication medium, a condition diagnosis result of the printer to a control unit for controlling the operation of the printer to a control unit for controlling the operation of the printer, and displaying the diagnosis result.
Alternatively, in the diagnosing step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and the time at which the ink will run out is estimated based on the depletion trend of the amount of ink remaining.
Alternatively, in the diagnosis step, the amount of ink remaining in the printer is detected and how many sheets of a sample image can e printed with the amount of ink remaining is computed.
Alternatively, the printer stores at least part of the condition of the printer detected in the detecting step and transmits the least part of the condition of the printer, via the communication medium, when data communication is enabled.
Alternatively, the communication medium performs data communication using the Internet.